Demetrious Johnson “Honored, Grateful” To Be With ONE Championship

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was introduced to the MMA world as a member of the ONE Championship roster during a recent teleconference with reporters.

Johnson was effectively traded to the Asia-based promotion for Ben Askren, who will head to the UFC and likely compete in the welterweight division.

For “Mighty Mouse,” he told reporters that the change is welcomed going from the UFC to ONE Championship.

“First of all, I am glad to be a part of ONE Championship. I am very honored and grateful to be a ONE athlete. It’s a huge move on my part, for my career. I’m looking to come over to Asia and test my skills against the best in the flyweight division. I know those guys are animals. I know Geje (Eustaquio) and (Adriano) Moraes are beasts, and I’m looking forward to getting into the cage with them. At the end of the day, I feel that I am very young in my career and I wanted to try something different.

“I’ve always wanted to travel the world and compete. I think ONE is a fantastic organization that represents incredible values – things that I also love to represent about this sport.”

Johnson racked up a 13-fight win streak from 2012 until a loss earlier this year to Henry Cejudo for the title. He set a record for consecutive title defenses, as he is now 27-3-1 in his career.

“It is my absolute pleasure to introduce Demetrious Johnson today, the newest ONE Championship athlete,” Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated. “Demetrious is without a doubt pound-for-pound the greatest mixed martial artist in history. Joining ONE, Demetrious is just getting started, the best is yet to come. He has achieved a lot for sure, but there is more here in Asia for him.

“It is an honor for me to be working with Demetrious and give him a platform where he can showcase his skills. It is an honor for me to tell his story and make sure people know who he is and what he stands for. Demetrious will inspire and change the world through the ONE platform.”

Johnson also joins up with fellow former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, who recently signed with ONE as a free agent.